NEW TI Users - Lets hear your opinions......

[marc]

Originally Posted by pseudonym

Virus Control

I had trouble installing this software on a Dual 2.5 G5 for Logic 7.1. I had to install four times before it worked. The first pass it failed right at the end (it's about a 10 minute install time), the second time it claimed to have been successful, but the plugin wouldn't initialise properly once inside Logic. I installed again, and tried restarting the TI before launching Logic, still didn't work. Installed the fourth time and the installer suggested I log out of OS X to complete the installation before continuing, which I did - and still the plugin didn't work. So I restarted the Mac, and now it works.

So, although it's common practice to restart a machine after installing software, at no point did the installer prompt me to do so. Anyone with less patience might have been straight on the phone to support, so I suggest making it clearer in the installer that this stage is important.

When you install the software package, actually two things do happen: an installation and an update of the Virus TI operating system. The installer does force you to restart the Mac after installing the drivers. This is true unless you deselect the drivers and virus control to be installed. The updater does simply quit as long as it's being called from the installer. If you use it as a stand alone updater (by launching the updater app in /application/access music/virus ti/ ..) it will force you to logout. it seems that under certain circumstances a logout is "not enough" and a restart is needed to being the TI's own drivers back into action.

I don't understand why you did need to install things multiple times but as long as it works now, i guess it doesn't matter so much.

best, marc

[pseudonym]

marc,

could it be that I'd previously installed the software without having the TI (a sneak peek), and therefore all I was doing was launching the firmware updater?

anyhow, it does work beautifully - so exciting to twist the knobs and have all the feedback in the plugin - a big pat on the back to the interface designer responsible for the virus control!

pseudo

[Mister Orange]

First post to this forum and my first virus. I've been reading from the sidelines and sharing in everyone's anguish these past months, waiting and waiting and... err, waiting! My TI keyboard surprisingly arrived bang on the 3rd (thank you Turnkey - London) and... wow, what a synth this is.

First up, my existing master keyboard was crapping out big time, so I'm just glad to have the E flat 1 key back again! But this is the nicest feel keyboard I've played of late - not too light and plasticky like some cheapy synths, but not too weighted and sluggish either. I'm not a trained piano player, so don't get the 'weighted keys' bit, and I like my keys to 'bounce' a little for triggering drum samples etc. It's a sexy keyboard, no doubt. And aftertouch... oooh!!! a nice extra I've never had before. Great for those Roland Rompler Rhodes patches (three Rs?), and loads more no doubt.

But nothing, nothing could have prepared me for the synth engine itself. It has completely blown me away. I've hardly explored any of the thousand-odd presets - I just dial up one at random that sounds nice, and then just twiddle away for hours. Twiddle, twiddle, twiddle on a satisfyingly endless journey of sonic evolution. The ten-month wait (I put my deposit down last November) was totally worth it. Since this is my first Virus, anyone who already owns one will probably know all this already, but for a first timer - this is synth heaven.

It sounds like a gritty old analogue synth engine that has been multiplied, mutated, expanded and lovingly nurtured into the twenty-first century, with all the mod-cons that we now take for granted (FX, layering, polyphony, midi, memory etc) but without losing the character of an analogue synth. I couldn't begin to quibble over whether it sounds like a 'real' analogue or not - it just sounds great. But you know that already!

The arp is a joy. What funky sequences! That's not an arpeggio surely? Well, it'll do nicely. Oh, and it says you can program your own... Really? Some time later maybe!

The TI bit? I would if only I could stop playing the damn thing! First up though, could someone explain what's wrong with a good old midi lead? ?1.99 from Maplins... plug it in and away you go. How much more integrated you wanna get?

Not sure if I ought to, but... by way of comparison, I used to own a Juno 60 and others, still have a 101 and a clutch of other newby analogue modules, but they always sound like... well, themselves! The Juno only sounds good to me when it sounds like a Juno (yet it's all too easy to make it sound plain rough). The 101 will always be a 101. That's cool, but this Virus is like a chameleon. It can be silky, dirty, raw, deep, bright, gritty, lush, smooth, hollow, earthy, rich, grungy, phat... whatever.

Interestingly, I haven't managed to produce what I consider a bad sound out of it yet (that's 'bad' as in 'not good' by the way). Much more importantly however, I haven't managed to produce a 'boring' sound! Believe me, after decades of being subjected to Japanese obsession with shakuhachis, bagpipes, accordions and flaccid, slap-bass samples, as well as a load of not-very-good analogue modellers, the Access Virus doesn't even come close to understanding the word 'boring'...

My only complaint so far is the manual! What the... who wrote... err??? I wonder if it's a secret ploy to encourage us all to have fun experimenting, cos it sure don't offer up many secrets! Even Roland's manuals are better than this. (Is that the ultimate manual put-down I wonder? Sorry guys.)

I'm sure there will be loads of discussion in time about how well the TI bit integrates into whatever blah, blah, blah. But the bottom line for me is that I have finally, after years of searching, found a real gutsy synth that is modern, sophisticated, sounds good, feels good and is immediately accessible (no pun intended) with all that twiddly, widdly, front panel control. Thank you Access!

[Doc Jones]

nice reviews so far. thanks guys.
Now deliver my TI!!!!

[rigamortis]

yeah what is it with dodgy manuals and synths?

it's downright slack, they often sound like they've been written by ketamine heads or something.

[MADSTATION]

rigamortis: What about a little respect ? You don't have to be so mean

[rigamortis]

Originally Posted by MADSTATION

rigamortis: What about a little respect ? You don't have to be so mean

respect to whome, the ketamine heads?

[nvisibl]

Polar arrived today, sounds very very capable, feels good and looks great.
Need to dive deeper before giving any real feedback.

[blay]

Originally Posted by rigamortis

respect to whome, the ketamine heads?

Howard Scarr wrote the manual for the TI, as he did for all previous virus models, along with the excellent programming analog synths tutorial.

It gives you the tools - it is up to you how you implement them. Nobody can write a manual on how to make good music.

I understand there are quite a few differences between the manual and the current OS, but remember they probably had them printed dec last year when they originally believed they would have the TI shipping.
As a preorder customer it is a little annoying that access did not print a new manual to ship with the new series - especially since the wait was so long in the first place.

Updated versions of the manual are available in pdf format from the access site. If you are still unhappy with that make a hardcopy and send access the printing bill

cheers

blay

[i3]

anesthetic heads? wtf...